Siphon outlet for truck tanks



May 6, 1930.

A. A. KRAMER SIPHON OUTLET FOR TRUCK TANKS Filed June 21, 1926 NM Q aw Q wk \nli. Q

INVENTOR ATTORNEY Patented May 6, 1930 P AT T HQE ANDREW A. KRAMER, OF KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI SIPHON OUTLET FOR TRUCK TANKS Application filed June 21,

My invention relates to tanks and more particularly to a siphon outlet for vehicle tanks.

It is a purpose of my invention to provide s an outlet for a tank mounted on a vehicle framework, whereby the desired drop in the outlet pipe or conduit is provided from the tank to the valved outlet thereof and at the same time the center of gravity of the tank to is placed as low as possible on the vehicle.

In order to accomplish this purpose I preferably provide a well or depression in the tank on the lower side thereof and provide an outlet pipe extending from said well or 15 depression in an upward curve and then through the wall of the tank at a point spaced from the depression, the conduit then inclining downwardly at substantially a umform rate from the point where the same 20 passes through the wall of the tank to the valved outlet.

More particularly it is a purpose of my invention to provide an outlet for a tank that extends into a well in the lower side of the 25 tank and which is adapted to draw the liquid from the well by a siphon action, the outlet pipe extending through the wall of the tank at a point spaced from the well and being inclined downwardly to a valved outlet.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear as the description of the accompanying drawings proceeds. However, I desire to have it distinctly understood that I do not intend to limit myself to the exact details shown or described, but that I intend to include as part of my invention all such obvious changes and modification of parts as would occur to a person skilled in this art and as would fall within the scope of the claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective View, partly broken away, of a tank showing my improved outlet construction applied thereto.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view of a portion of a tank showing my improved outlet connection.

. Referring in detail to the drawings:

My improved outlet is shown as being applied to a tank having end walls 10, parti- 1926. Serial No. 117,405.

tions 11 and a curved wall portion 12, the partitions dividing the tank into a plurality of compartments 13, let and 15. The end walls and the partitions may be made of any desired construction but are shown in the drawings as being extended downwardly below the bottom side of the tank to form the web portions of bolsters 16 which have the angular end portions or flanges 17 which are adapted to rest on the vehicle framework. The sheets forming the curved wall portions 12 are preferably flanged as shown at 18 t secure the said wall portions to the walls and 11, the flanges 18 being preferably Welded or in any other manner secured to the members 10 and 11, thus forming a part of the bolster 16. The bottom side of the tank may have the curved wall portions 19 inclined toward the outwardly-struck portion 20 forming a depression or well in the lower side of each tank section. The depressions 20 are preferably provided with inclined wall portions 21 and substantially flat bottom walls, the wall portions 21 being substantially conical. Thus a well 23 is formed in the bottom of each tank section and as far as the invention is concerned, each section of the tank could as well be a single tank as a unit of a tank provided with partitions. It is, however, particularly important in a tank having a plurality of sections, that the construction shown is used, as the length of the horizontally elongated tanks makes it necessary to devise means for obtaining the necessary amount of drop in the outlet pipe without raislng the center of gravity of the tank too high. It will be obvious that the liquid in the tank will tend to run along the inclined wall portions 19 toward the well 23 and into the same and that accordingly the tank can be drained of substantially its entire contents by the outlet means described below.

The outlet conduit preferably comprises an end portion 24 extending down into the well 23 to near the bottom 22 thereof, and 9 furthermore preferably has an upward bend 25 therein extending from the end 24 to the wall 19 at a point spaced from the well 23. The outlet pipe extends preferably at a rather steep inclination at the point where the same passes through the wall 19 as indicated at 26 and then is bent slightly below the wall 19 at 27 so as to incline the straight portion 28 of the pipe at the proper angle so that the liquid will readily run through the same to the valved outlet 29 provided at the opposite end thereof. The outlet pipes are sub stantially the same in construction for each of the compartments 13, 14 and except that the inclination of the straight portions 28 of the conduits or pipes is greater for those nearer the rear end of the tank at which the valved outlets 29 are located than those toward the front end of the tank, the importantfeature being that the inclination must be enough to provide for the proper flow of the liquid from the outlet that extends from the furthest forward compartment 13 rearwardly to the valved outlet 29, and it is in order to obtain the proper inclination for the conduit leading from this compartment without raising the center of gravity undesirably, that the siphon outlet has been provided. The outlet pipes are preferably secured to the inclined bottom wall por' ions 19 of the tank sections where the same pass therethrough by welding the same thereto, as indicated at 30 in the drawings, thus providing a liquid tight joint between the conduit and the tank wall, as well as providing a support for the conduit to support the inlet end 24 thereof spaced from the bottom 22 of the well 23. The conduits 28 are also welded, as indicated at 31, to the webs of the bolsters 16 where the same pass therethrough to more firmly anchor the same in position. As the conduits must be locatedthroughout their length above the bottom flanges 17 of the bolsters, the l'ieight of, the bolsters, and thus the center of gravity of the tank, depends upon the position of the conduits and the inclination thereof. As the conduits are placed at a higher'level due to my siphon arrangement, the bolsters can be made lower and thus the center of gravity of the tank can be lowered.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1'. In a device of the character described,

a support including transverse bolsters and a horizontally elongated tank including a lower edges of the bolsters and the bottom of the tank, and a curved portion extending upwardly through said bottom wall into the tank and downwardly into said sump.

2; In adevice of the character described, in combination with a support including transverse members having vertical portions and horizontal bottom flanges, and a horizontally elongated tank having a bottom wall mounted on said members in spaced relation with the horizontal flanges thereof, a conduit ineluding substantially straight portion adapted to extend longitudinally of said tank between the bottom wall thereof and said lateral flanges and an inlet portion including an inclined portion passing upwardly through said bottom wall and a curved portion extending downwardly inthe tank to position the end of the inlet portion adjacent the bottom wall of the tank.

3. In a device of the character described, a support including vertical members having substantially horizontal and parallel lower edges, a horizontally elongated tank supported by said members in spaced relation with the lower edges thereof, said tank having a horizontal bottom wall provided with an opening and a portion-adjacent said open ing depressed into the spacing between the tank and the plane of the lower. edges of the supporting members to form a well, and a conduit inc-ludinga straight portion positioned longitudinally of the tank between the bottom wall thereof and the lower edges of said support members, and having an outlet end adjacent one end of' the tank, and a curved portion extending through said bottom wall opening into the tank and having an inlet end in said well, said straight portion inclining downwardly from the well toward its outlet end.

In testimony whereof I affix'my signature.

ANDREW A. KRAMER. 

